Emir of Qatar tells Peres that Israel must talk to Hamas

By Avi Issacharoff

DOHA -
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, told Vice Premier
Shimon Peres on Tuesday that Israel must talk to the ruling Palestinian
Hamas movement, adding that peace with the Palestinians would affect
Israel's relationship with the entire Arab world.

Peres told the
emir in response that it was Hamas who refused to talk to Israel.

The vice premier arrived in Doha on Monday, for his first visit to
Qatar since 1996. He is accompanied by a group of Israeli journalists,
marking the first time Qatar has permitted Israeli journalists to
accompany an official visit to the country.

During the meeting
Peres asked the Qatari ruler to continue in his efforts to aid the release
of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

He
presented the emir with a plan for an economic corridor between Aqaba and
the Yarmuk River, which would include plans for a water canal.

The
emir invited Israelis to study in Qatar, to which Peres responded that any
Israeli who wanted to would be welcome to do so.

With regard to the
Iran, Peres told the emir that Israel did not have a problem with Tehran
but with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad himself.

This problem was
shared by the rest of the world, Peres said, adding that Iranians were
suffering from poverty and distress and would not be able to feed their
children with enriched uranium.

Peres said that the emir told him
he was happy to hear that he was running for the presidency.

The
Israeli mission in Qatar, which is not considered an official embassy, has
continued to operate in Doha in recent years.

The relations
between Israel and Qatar are ongoing, despite the tensions between the
countries over Doha's close relationship with Tehran, Hamas, and
Hezbollah.

In December, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh
of Hamas visited the country, and Qatar promised to grant him millions of
dollars in aid in order to allow him to pay teachers' salaries.